Cubs notebook: Cubbies calling up the troops

Thursday

Aug 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMAug 30, 2007 at 4:10 PM

The Cubs will call up anywhere from six to eight players from the minor leagues in September, according to general manager Jim Hendry.

Jeff Vorva

See you in September ...
The Cubs will call up anywhere from six to eight players from the minor leagues in September, according to general manager Jim Hendry.
Starting Saturday, the active rosters of major league teams can expand from 25 to 40 players. Some Cubs will be promoted Saturday and others will report Tuesday after Triple-A Iowa’s season ends.
Left-handed pitchers Carmen Pignatiello and Will Ohman, catcher Geovany Soto, infielder Ronny Cedeno, outfielder Jake Fox and infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson appear to be six players the Cubs have in mind. All six have played for the Cubs this season.
Manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday the Cubs would also seek a pitcher who can make a spot start. The Cubs will need a sixth starter Sept. 15, when they are to play a day-night doubleheader at St. Louis.
That should bode well for Sean Gallagher, who has been up with the team three times in a relief capacity. At Iowa, he is 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA in eight starts.
There’s also a wild-card player involved. The Cubs are keeping an eye on Double-A Tennessee pitcher Kevin Hart, who has won nine of his last 10 decisions. Hart, 24, came to the Cubs from Baltimore in the Freddie Bynum trade on Dec. 6, 2006.
The Cubs aren’t skittish about promoting players from Double A. Gallagher, Fox and pitcher Billy Petrick were promoted from that rank to the majors earlier this year.
Subbing for Soriano
Alfonso Soriano returned Tuesday night from a right quadriceps injury but was replaced defensively in left field by Craig Monroe in the ninth inning.
“I thought his legs might have been getting tired there at the end,” Piniella said. “We might do that for a little bit. He’s had no rehab - all he’s had are workouts. When you miss three weeks or more, you send a guy on a rehab assignment. His rehab assignment was against Milwaukee. If we can help him along a little bit, why not?”
It’s No ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’…
When teams are going well, novelty songs and videos start to come out.
One parody song/video making the rounds about the Cubs on the You Tube Web site is “Hey Lou Piniella,” by Tellum Productions, which is sung to the tune of “Hey There Delilah,” a megahit by the Plain White T’s.
One of the lines is: “Re-sign Lou, the Cubs are winning thanks to you, you know it’s true.” Another line rhymes “Boo-hoo,” “You” and “Sweet Lou.”
As of Wednesday, the Cubs manager had not seen the video nor heard the song.
“That sounds nice,” he said. “But I don’t use the computer all that much. Like I said in spring training, my wife has to turn it on for me.”
He’s Dunn with the Cubs
Minor league pitching coordinator Alan Dunn, who spent 15 years in the organization in various capacities - including as pitching coach for Double-A West Tenn and Iowa - was named the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen coach.
“Tremendous employee - I’m sorry to see him go, but I’m thrilled for him,” Hendry said. “He’s one of my all-time favorite guys. He’s a great pitching coach and a great person. He’s going to the big leagues - good for him.”
Guzman Mending
Angel Guzman, who was briefly in the Cubs’ starting rotation this season, continues to rehab his strained right shoulder. He threw a shutout inning Tuesday for Mesa in the Arizona Rookie League.
Jeff Vorva can be reached at jvorva@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5957. Read his blog at http://blogs.dailysouthtown.com/vorva.